A Little Love
by nejiandtentenfan
Summary: Hyuuga Neji, who is prideful, handsome, but most importantly a prodigy, has finally returned from his long training session right before Tenten's special birthday. Tenten's excited to see him, but is he happy to see her again? [NejiTen]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own Naruto! And sorry, this chapter used to be so much more detailed, but something totally weird happened to it, deleted it, and I had to quickly retype it. So it's suuuper short now ( Sorry!**

Chapter 1

Tenten yawned as she quickly put up her hair. She smiled. Today was her twenty-first birthday, and there was a small party tonight. Everyone she knew was coming. Well, mostly everyone.

Hyuuga Neji didn't respond to the invitation. Hyuuga Neji wasn't even in Konoha.

"Tenten! You have a visitor!" her mother called up. Tenten sighed. She had too many visitors lately. Now she was the age eligible for marriage she had a lot of suitors.

_It had better not be some 50-year-old pervert._

Tenten took one more look in the mirror. Her body had changed a lot in the past months. A Chunnin, Tenten refused to wear the Chunnin vest, sticking with a pink Chinese style top and pants to her knees. Now Tenten looked fuller in her top and her girly-tomboy looks were disappearing to leave a more feminine adult Tenten. She had left behind the buns in her hair for a more feminine messy bun on the side of her head, allowing strands of her chestnut brown hair to escape, framing her face. Tenten had felt the eyes of some of the opposite sex linger on her a little _too _long lately. And, personally, it was a mix of flattery and irritation.

Hiding her annoyance behind a thinly veiled smile at the thought of yet another creepy 50-year-old suitor, Tenten walked down to the kitchen.

**A/N: Hehe…again, sorry for the length.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't own Naruto.**

Chapter 2

The person sitting at her kitchen table that she had expected to be Lee actually turned out to be none other then Hyuuga Neji. He was sitting at her table sipping a cup of green tea. Tenten's heart almost stopped at the sight of him.

"Neji!" Tenten looked at Neji sitting there, so calm. She couldn't help but gape at his beautiful face. She had missed him so much while he was gone, and now, he was sitting right before her very eyes, in her own kitchen.

Neji looked different, but at the same time, he was still the Neji she had once known. He changed just like Tenten. He was just an older version of his old self, a better looking older version, that is.

His clothing was the same, he wore the same traditional robes, and he had also grown considerably taller. _Good, _Tenten thought. _Couples look better when the husband is taller._

He was thinner than before, but more muscular, his lips looked like they hadn't smiled in a decade, and his eyes looked different too…they were more worn out than before. He had that look of a real shinobi, not the look of fake shinobis that never got dirty, but the look of those really tough ones, that were bitter towards life. He had the same bitter look as Uchiha Sasuke had, although it was a cruel look to have, she thought it made him look dark…it made him look sexy.

He looked so much like a Hyuuga. He almost looked like Hinata's dad in some ways. The resemblence astonished her.

He gave the first Hyuuga a run for his money. Tenten couldn't stop looking at him. She just couldn't control herself.

Strong, calm, and better than the rest. That was what he was. Those features made him seem so cool in her eyes.

Tenten hadn't talked or seen Neji for about three years. It made her heart break whenever she used to think about him. She was in denial for a long time when he had left Konoha.

Neji went his own way, and Tenten stayed behind. Neji chose to train and become stronger and stronger. Tenten chose to stay in her comfort zone, improving little by little, but Neji seeked to become as powerful as he could, as quickly as he could.

She wished she had run and caught up with him, when she had a chance. But she had missed that chance. She was now in his shadows, she really did want to catch up though.

But the gap was too big. He was so much more advanced than she was. She could never catch up even if she trained 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for one whole year.

He disappeared out of her life. He completely left her in the darkness. He left without thinking about how crushed she would be.

Now here he was, sitting at her kitchen table and sipping tea. She wanted to run up to him and hug him. But she had enough common sense to know not to do that, unless she wanted to end up in the hospital for at least 6 weeks.

Tenten's mother seemed to disappear, her feet bouncing up the stairs to whisper it to her father who would soon be bounding down, his notebook of possible husband questions poised in his hands. _How Asian can my parents be? Good lord, keeping a notebook of possible husbands…psh._

Tenten stared at him. She felt so stupid, she was just standing there looking at him. Nothing to say, just staring.

Neji was looking intently at his cup, his Byakugan not activated. He was trying not to meet Tenten's gaze. If he did, something awkward would surely come of it.

_Say something dammit! _Tenten mentally slapped herself. She still didn't utter a word.

_Say something mature and cool, something Neji wouldn't expect his old teammate to say. _Tenten tried to say something again, nothing but air came out of her mouth. She mentally slapped herself again.

"What the hell are you doing here?" That was all Tenten could say. She couldn't think of anything else that was cool enough.

Neji didn't even blink. Neji was not amused at her use of language. He was not even aware that she was trying so hard in her mind to impress him.

_Dammit... he expected that. _Tenten slapped herself about ten times this time. She was out of ideas.

_Act mature... be mature... not the child Neji left. _Tenten's mind was racing frantically. _What to say, what to say, slap, slap, slap!_

"Gomen, Neji-kun... I wasn't expecting to see you back... it has been a while." Tenten figured she should apologize for her awkwardness first. _That's a good start…WHAT NOW?_

Tenten bowed deeply. She felt stupid for a while, but then again, Neji was a pretty formal person in public, so he surely wouldn't mind. Plus, she was wearing a red kimono and make up, so bowing in formal clothing didn't look too bad.

With that said, Neji did blink, and then gawked at Tenten for about two seconds. Neji didn't expect the formal apology from his old teammate. _Is that really Tenten, _Neji thought, he realized he had blown his cover in those two seconds?

The two seconds that told Tenten she had finally won and Neji lost. Tenten couldn't help but grin at this win. _I finally beat the Hyuuga at SOMETHING._

She was just about to celebrate her triumph when Neji instantly regained his composure. Although he had already lost this time, he wouldn't lose again. He wouldn't be able to stand Tenten rubbing it in his face either.

"I've been back in Konoha for a few days, Tenten-_san_." Neji said this without blinking. He remained calm and composed.

The old Neji was back. Neji was determined not to let a loss like that happen again. He would stay hard and emotionless, the way he has been since his father died.

Strong, calm, and better than the rest. That was what Neji was. These traits of Neji used to always make Tenten drool over him whenever she saw him.

He was a Hyuuga, and always will be the best Hyuuga in his prime. Tenten knew that for a fact. He had inherited most of the Hyuuga talents, skills, abilities, and looks, even more than Hinata or Hinabi.

The Hyuuga that didn't need anyone's help, in anything. He was fearless and too arrogant to admit he needed any help at all. Even Sasuke, who had been softened after his return, often commented on how Neji would die before he went to a hospital to get help.

"Oh... that is wonderful," Tenten said pleasantly. She wanted to keep herself seeming calm. Down inside she was thinking, _he was here for a few days already…how come I haven't seen him around?_

She had a long time to refine her etiquette skills. She had learned a lot lately from her mom. Her mom insisted on Tenten acting more like a "proper young lady" rather than a kunoichi because of this whole marriage situation.

She could out beat Neji in a battle of the manners. Tenten knew it, I mean, how could she not? Tenten had been at home for these past few years trying to grace suitors, while Neji had spent those years in possible seclusion, training, and hardening himself up.

"If I may ask, Neji-kun, why you have graced your presence upon me?" Tenten said in a feminine voice. She used big words that she would normally have only used towards elders. She had also learned how to carry out a "proper" conversation ever since she started hanging out with Lee, it really came in handy sometimes.

Tenten smirked inwardly. Mentally, she was pumping her fist in the air. _Yes, beat that Hyuuga!_

Neji could never beat that. Why should he? There was no point, inside his mind he thought, _I will not play into her childish games of "who has better manners."_

And he didn't. Although he thought Tenten was still very naïve in the way she played these little games, he was secretly impressed with her expanded vocabulary. _She must have been doing a lot of training with Gai Sensei and Lee…_Neji thought.

"I thought it may be good for us to go train one more time." Neji said this with his face void of expression. He didn't allow himself to blink, blush, smile, anything.

Tenten didn't want to train. She was secretly hoping to just stay in her own home and hang out with him. But she knew that would never happen, and she had definitely not wanted the first thing Neji to ask her when he got back to be to train with him.

It was her birthday, dammit! Who trains on their birthday? She had been planning for this to be her most carefree, fun day of the year, but Neji was now asking her to _train _with him?

She glanced at Neji. She was looking to see if he was really serious, he was. She surveyed his appearance one more time, she had loved the way Neji looked ever since she was 13.

The Neji she went to the Academy with, trained with, battled alongside with. Tenten used to be with him every single hour of the day until she went home to rest. She missed those days.

She smiled. She could help it, he was just too beautiful. She debated with herself, _I don't want to train on my birthday…but training with Neji would bring the good old days back…kind of…sort of…right?_

She would train on her birthday, because this time Neji was _asking _to train. Before, it had always been the other way around. Tenten had always had to ask him for asisstance as an excuse to be near him.

He never asked. When would he ever have to? He wouldn't, that's when, his skill level had always been higher than hers, so he never found the need to train with someone lesser than him.

"I would love to." Tenten gladly accepted his invitation. She wanted too badly for Neji to be near her for her to decline his offer.

Neji stood up and walked to the door. Tenten stared at him, she stared at his beautiful figure. He had grown into a man, he was no longer the little boy she once adored, he was now a grown up Hyuuga.

Tenten picked up a small pack with weapons and scrolls and followed Neji. She quickly remembered she was wearing tons of makeup, her hair was fancy, and she was wearing a new kimono, she would have changed but she didn't want to hold off being with Neji any longer. She shrugged off the thought, _Mom and Dad won't get too mad, after all, it IS my birthday._

"Neji-kun...do you know what today is?" Tenten asked. She realized he had not mentioned her birthday at all. She tried to ask the question nicely.

"Saturday." Neji didn't know what she was talking about. Has_ she lost track of time since I left?_

"Um, no…today is Wednesday." Tenten gave him a funny look. _Has he lost track of time since he left?_

Neji was silent. He didn't meet Tenten's gaze. He didn't want to see the look she was giving him.

He hated being corrected. Being corrected was in a way being inferior to someone else. Neji wouldn't allow being second to anyone.

It was visible on his face. Tenten noticed the way she made Neji upset. _Oh no, I'm already getting on his bad side, and he just got back!_

**A/N: Please comment/review, thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I don't own Naruto.**

Chapter 3

Tenten noticed her Hyuuga face-reading skills had gotten rusty. She hadn't seen him in forever, after all. So, you couldn't really blame her.

Tenten tried to smile, "Today is a really special day. To me." Tenten's heart was ripping. She hoped Neji remembered now.

"Oh." Neji replied simply. Neji was still clueless.

Tenten's face fell, a frown on her pink lips. That hurt. _How could he not remember?_

But then she quickly veiled her hurt and smiled, "It's my birthday Neji." Tenten expected to hear something like, _oh sorry I forgot, how could I forget? _Or, _Oh, happy birthday, I lost track of time!_

"Happy Birthday." Neji said this simply without any emotion. Tenten was even more hurt, _how can he not even care that it's my birthday?_

Tenten looked ahead. She didn't want to look at Neji. _Why is he so cruel to me?_

Neji was always blunt. He had always been like that around Tenten, or around anyone for that matter. Neji always seemed like he was only interested in his own problems, but he never cared about anyone else.

He never let out his feelings and he was occasionally rude. Tenten had experienced this many times. She was pretty used to it by now.

Neji always thought he was better than everyone else. He probably was more skilled than many ninjas. But his arrogance got on Tenten's nerves from time to time.

He was a Hyuuga, strong, calm, and better than the rest. What else could Tenten say? He was what he was.

They reached the training field. Tenten looked around. She took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh air.

Tenten smiled, "What shall we do today? And if I may say, please no 64 palms because I don't want to be hospitalized on my birthday, Neji-kun." Tenten feared him when he was fighting, for she knew he had the ability to put someone to death. He could do it easily, without blinking.

"New technique." Neji said simply. He had been waiting to practice with someone.

"Oh..." Tenten felt her nerves rising. Tenten wasn't pleased with the idea. The idea of Neji trying out a new technique on her made her uneasy.

New technique meant more advanced skills, which means it hurts more than the 64 palms. Tenten's mental self cringed at the thought of this. She could just imagine herself ending up in the hospital tonight.

Slowly Neji reached for Tenten's wrist. Tenten watched him. _What kind of new technique is this?_

He turned her around, much to Tenten's utter shock and joy. Tenten stood stone still. She did whatever Neji motioned for her to do.

Their backs touched, and they stood in the clearing, facing opposite directions. Tenten could stay like this forever. She was so close to Neji.

Suddenly blood rushed to Tenten's face. Her whole face turned a light shade of red. She looked like Hinata when Naruto held her.

Neji had lightly moved his fingers to fill the gaps between hers. His hand was now laced together with hers. If she was Hinata, she would've fainted by now.

_Oh god... he's holding my hand..._Tenten thought. _Is this a technique or is this just an excuse to hold my hand?_ Tenten's heart was beating quickly.

Tenten couldn't see Neji's face but she could hear him murmuring words. She was pretty sure this was a technique. She couldn't recognize what kind of technique it was though just by listening to the words that came out of his mouth.

Suddenly, she felt all her chakra getting being drained from her body. She felt herself getting weaker and weaker. She couldn't just do nothing about it.

She watched wide-eyed as her visible blue chakra traveled from her body to her arm. She was astounded. Where had Neji learned to do this?

_He's taking my chakra! _Tenten panicked. _What am I supposed to do?_

Then it stopped at the brink of Tenten's fingers. Without much effort, Tenten concentrated hard. She was trying to stop him.

It was fighting its way back. Just as Orochimaru had fought for his soul, Tenten was fighting for her chakra. She wouldn't be weak for her birthday, certainly not!

It dispersed back into the chakra systems of Tenten's body, and Tenten's strength returned. She let out a sigh. She had survived.

"Damn," Neji cursed and slumped on Tenten's body, exhausted. Tenten could feel his muscular body against hers. She liked it this way.

The blood returned to Tenten's face as her cheeks turned dark pink. She once again looked like a lovestruck Hinata. She couldn't help it.

_Neji's has never failed at a technique... what is going on? _Tenten thought. It was so bizzare. _He's NEVER failed at a technique!_

_Oh gods, he's never been this close either!_ Tenten froze. She wanted this moment to last.

"Back... to normal training," he said straightening. Tenten loosened up her body. Neji ruined the moment again.

"Of course," Tenten nodded pulling out kunai and putting it in her mouth as she jumped into the trees. She would show him everything she was made of. He still remembered how skilled she was at weaponry.

_This little kunoichi grew up, Neji-kun._ This was her chance to show him how much she had grown. This was her chance to try to impress him.

Tenten threw the weapons faster than she ever did in training. Neji tried to dodge them. A lot of them whizzed past his face, barely missing him.

She jumped to the next tree, aiming for his thoracic vertebra. She knew this was a sensitive spot. If she just hit it precisely enough, she would win.

_I know your weakness Neji-kun. _Tenten grinned. _This was almost…too easy…_

Neji managed to block some of it, but he was low on chakra. He was weak without his chakra. Many of his techniques were chakra based, other than a few taijutsus, he was almost powerless without it.

His instincts weren't fast enough when he was so worn out and Tenten wasn't. Neji was usually very quick on his feet, but not now. He was exhausted and low on chakra, there was no way he could keep it up for much longer.

Many of the weapons cut into his skin. He blinked a few times. Tenten thought, _what's wrong with him?_

Tenten hesitated. She felt a bit uneasy. She thought he'd be able to handle this.

_I'm hurting him. _Tenten felt like stopping. But she remembered what Neji had said to her once before.

Tenten remembered what Neji used to say. She remembered everything he said. She took mental notes, like the way Lee took notes on what Gai Sensei said.

_Never hesitate. _That's what Neji said. He told her clearly for her own defense.

_Hesitation is a sign of weakness. _Neji thought a lot of things were signs of weakness. That included love.

Neji strictly told her never to stop unless she ran out of weapons. She remembered that day when he was a bit upset with the way she always hesitated when she thought she was hurting someone. He made his message loud and clear.

She was only following orders. She debated inside her head frantically. _Do I stop, or do I continue?!_

A kunai stuck to his leg and Neji dropped to his knees. Tenten didn't know what to do. _Do I stop, or do I continue?!_

Tenten didn't know what to do as she hesitated again. She knew Neji had told her not to hesitate, but she was in a state of pure confusion. _Oh lord, what am I supposed to do?!_

"Keep... going..." he said, his hands only glowing faintly. She couldn't take it. He was on his hands and knees for crying out loud!

_He can't handle anymore... I still have about another dozen then the scrolls. _Tenten knew if she continued until she ran out of weapons, she would have killed him. That certainly was not her goal.

Tenten jumped down. She had made her choice. She was going to stop.

She pulled out the medical kit she kept handy in her pack. Neji looked like he was in serious pain. There was no time to find a medical ninja to heal Neji's wounds.

Neji was on his hands and knees. Tenten had never seen him in this position before. This was what his opponents usually looked like.

Kneeling down, Tenten quickly pulled out the kunai in his leg. She felt queezy. The kunai had dug so far in his leg.

Neji gasped and coughed up blood. Tenten began to feel sick. She had never seen Neji in this state of hurt before.

"Neji-kun you used up too much chakra. Stop pushing yourself!" Tenten said almost desperately. Tenten would've slapped him if he wasn't wounded. She wished Sakura was here to help heal him.

Then Neji fainted. This astounded Tenten. Hyuuga Neji had just fainted before her very eyes.

Tenten fretted. _What's wrong with him?!_ She had absolutely no idea why he had done so poorly during training, was he really _that _worn out?

Neji _never_ fainted. Never. Although his cousin Hinata did often, Neji most certainly never did that sort of thing.

What happened to Neji these past years! He used to be so skilled! Where did that all go?

Even if he was low on chakra he could hold back all of Tenten's weapons. Weapons were usually no match for Neji's chakra. But obviously that was not the case today.

"That technique wasted all his chakra..." Tenten said softly, lifting Neji up. He was lighter than she had expected. All his weight consisted of muscle, he had only the minimum necessary amount of fat, the rest was bone and muscle.

She felt a blush creep back into her cheeks as she carried him over to the nearby tree. She didn't want to work out in the open. She couldn't believe she was actually holding him!

She lifted Neji so he was sitting against a tree. She looked at his beautiful face. _He's gorgeous even when he's unconcious, _Tenten thought dreamily.

She hesitated, gazing at the unconscious Neji. What was she supposed to do? She wasn't fully a medical ninja and here Neji was unconcious, _agh, what a mess._

**A/N: Please comment/review, thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I don't own Naruto.**

Chapter 4

She looked at his wounds. She thought about how painful they must be. Some of the gashes he had gotten from her were huge.

Tenten never touched his wounds. She knew Neji would not be happy with her if she did. So she decided to keep him happy by not helping him.

Neji was too proud to be helped in anyway. It's a Hyuuga thing. He made it clear to everyone that knew him not to asisst him, if someone tried, he would treat them cruelly.

He was after all, a Hyuuga, strong, calm, and better than the rest. Tenten wondered why she was so in love with him sometimes. _Oh yeah, that's right, he's hot._

Tenten remembered when Neji came back to Konoha from the failed attempt on bringing Sasuke back. It was a sad day for Konoha. Tenten gasped when she saw Neji though.

Tenten found him with most of bones broken, his muscles torn, and just about half dead. She would've screamed, but she knew not to scream in a hospital. She could not believe Neji had done so much to try to pursue Sasuke.

Tenten was scared he would never be the same. She was scared he would be like Lee when Gaara injured him during the Chuunin exams. She was scared he would never be able to be a shinobi again and be by her side.

She brought herbs that he never touched. She had brought them so that they would ease his pain. He flat out refused to let some girl help him with his pain.

She brought flowers that he never glanced at. Even though they wouldn't help him anyways, he didn't need charity. So he never looked at them, and he let them wither without caring.

She brought sweets that he never ate. Again, he didn't need charity. Espcially from a girl, he was so sexist, but then again, he was a Hyuuga, so he always thought of himself as better than everyone else.

"I don't need these Tenten," he had said cruelly. He pushed Tenten aside like she was nothing but a nuisance to him. The way Sasuke had once done to Sakura.

It hurt Tenten inside. Tenten loved Neji so much. But he didn't care about anyone but himself.

She had another flashback.

_When Tenten was 13 years old and absolutely crazy with Neji, she always tried to impress him. But of course we all already know that. _

_On Valentines Day that year she had bought him every romantic thing she could think of. A card, a huge box of heart shaped chocolates, a bouquet of roses, and a teddy bear. _

_She had used her own savings to try to impress him. When she handed him all the gifts, Neji just blankly stared at her, not even smiling._

_She was a bit discouraged but tried to smile, "Neji, these are for you! Happy Valentines Day!"_

_Neji kept staring at her, not even looking at the gifts and said coldly, "I don't need charity," and turned around and started walking away._

_Tenten was left standing there all alone with a load of untouched gifts. Neji didn't even look at them. Tenten looked at him, frozen, until he disappeared in the distance. A few tears rolled down her face and she turned around to walk home, dragging her feet slowly._

_Well, Neji's unconscious... either he's going to be happy I'm healing him or he'll get infected by some bacteria and die._ Tenten weighed to possible outcomes. She decided although he had always treated her cruelly, she would help him, even if it was against his will, she loved him too much for him to die.

Her hands glowed green and she traced some small wounds on his arms and legs. She did this with great accuracy. She was pretty good at it.

Tenten wasn't a full medical ninja... she just knew some basics, trying to get the attention of her idol, Tsunade-sama. The Fifth never really noticed Tenten. She was too preoccupied training her apprentice, Haruno Sakura.

With the larger cuts Tenten ripped some bandages and wrapped around it. _Wow, I gave him some pretty large cuts. _Tenten felt guilty for a while but then thought, _well it's his own fault for not going fast enough._

Hesitantly, Tenten reached over. She would have to do this. _Just do it, Tenten!_

Shutting her eyes tightly, she shakily undid his jacket. She did this slowly, trying to make sure Neji did not wake up. _Don't wake up…don't wake up…don't wake up…_

_Tenten, don't freak out... you've seen shirtless boys... and shirtless men... this isn't different!_ But this WAS different. This was Neji, the guy she's loved since she was 13!

Tenten slowly opened her eyes. She was really reluctant. _I shouldn't even be doing this!_

There were cuts on his chest and stomach and a huge scar across his stomach. Her eyes widened. What was Neji's problem?

"How the hell did that happen... gods Neji just get medical help! You're going to die of a disease someday!" Tenten pouted. She wanted to shake him, but she didn't want to risk waking him up. _Neji, you're arrogance is going to kill you one day._

Tenten pulled out more bandages. _Good thing I packed several. _She worked quickly.

She had to put disinfectant on it. She had actually done this several times before with smaller cuts. She babysat for her neighbor several times, but she stopped because the kids were so bratty and troublesome, as Shikamaru would say.

Neji may be a Hyuuga, but he was still a boy. In Tenten's eyes at least. He was tough and hardened, but Tenten knew that deep down there was a soft part of Neji that she loved.

_This will sting... he better not wake up to find me touching his stomach._ Tenten didn't even want to imagine the outcome of that. _He'd probably slay me._

Putting some on her finger she traced the scar. _Don't wake up, don't wake up, don't wake up._ She worked as time efficiently as possible.

Neji winced but didn't wake up. _Whew! I'm so glad he can endure pain, this must be nothing compared to his normal everyday training._

Flashback.

_Tenten had been relaxing all day and was bored to death in her teen years before Neji left. She decided to go check out what the other members of her team were doing._

_She first walked over to Lee's house. She peaked into his window. He was doing heavy training. The usual. He was doing pushups. She could hear him counting out loud, "596…5967…598…599…"_

_He was struggling like he always did right before he hit a number ending in more than one zero. He was pushing himself halfway up, but he couldn't make it all the way up, he was struggling like crazy. She felt bad, Lee tried so hard and he was so determined to beat Neji._

_She heard him talking aloud again, "If I cannot reach 600 pushups, then I shall do 1200 squats."_

Sheezus, no Lee, _Tenten thought._

_Too late. Lee collapsed, not able to reach 600 pushups. He got up quickly in a squatting position and started to count all over again, "One, two, three, four…" Tenten decided she didn't want to watch Lee kill himself. But then again he did this every single day._

_She decided to check out what Neji was doing. She ran over to his house and heard some noises in his backyard. She slowly tiptoed to his backyard to find him sparring with Sasuke. They locked eyes in their stances. Neither of them were making a move. They were analyzing the situation and figuring out what to do. Sasuke made the first move and started it off slowly._

_Neji quickly picked up the pace and used 64 palms. Sasuke dodged all of his strikes skillfully. They were killing eachother. But they were both amazingly speedy. Tenten thought, _my training is nothing compared to theirs…and for a while she felt so inferior…

Tenten couldn't help thinking how strong his stomach was. _God, he's hot._ She was working dreamily staring at Neji's body.

There were faint lines of his ab muscles. _Wow. Yeah, I'm not even going to try to catch up with him anymore, _Tenten thought.

Neji was never broad and big, like Inuzuka Kiba, but rather lean yet still intimidating. Tenten loved this. She preferred him not to be like Inuzuka Kiba.

_Tenten! _Tenten forced herself to get focused. _Slap!_

_Stop thinking that! _Tenten suddenly got back to her senses. Neji was the guy that didn't even care about her, why should she care about him?

Now she had to put bandages on him. Fun. She had to make sure she was very gentle with him, fearing even the smallest movement of his body would cause him to wake up and beat her to a pulp for touching him.

This was going to be hard. It had to go around his whole chest. Tenten calmed herself. _I HAVE to remain calm to do this._

_I have to do it now... now or never..._Tenten thought. She took a deep breath like she was getting ready to perform a surgery.

She had a random flashback.

_Neji had gotten back from a mission. Not the one he returned from half dead trying to pursue Sasuke, but a different one. His condition was about the same. Not good at all. She had watched him in the hospital._

_He had been put in the hospital by force. She was glad, he really needed some medical attention. Neji had been asleep and Sakura had been closing up some of his fresh gashes. Neji woke up in the middle of the process and slapped her hand away. He said bitterly, "Don't EVER help me again."_

_Tenten saw all this as she popped her head inside his room. Seeing this hurt her. Sakura was only trying to HELP, goodness._

_After that experience, both Tenten and Sakura knew not to help Neji whatsoever. Sakura never did again. She had been in his room once again when he came back from another mission unconcious, but she dared not touch him. She just watched him rest._

Although Tenten knew that Neji would murder her if he woke up at the moment, Tenten still cared about him way too much, whether he felt the same way or not, she was going to save him and be there for him.

Tenten leaned closer and pulled the bandages out. She placed it on his stomach. Taking another deep breath she leaned closer as she wound the bandage around his stomach. She was actually doing pretty good so far. She was almost done. Just a little bit more…

**A/N: Please comment/review, thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I don't own Naruto.**

Chapter 5

Neji was fully awake. He had stayed quiet. It was better for him to be unconscious and let Tenten heal him then be awake. His pride would have taken a harsh beating. He never expected Tenten to open his robes. One part of his mind wanted to reach out and yell at Tenten for invasion of privacy, and another part actually enjoyed it. Until Tenten put the disinfectant on.

He hated the disinfectant, although it was nothing compared to the situations he had gotten himself into in the past. He just wanted to relax and let Tenten touch him, he didn't want to be in pain.

He stayed quiet to see what Tenten was doing. No, he wasn't. He already knew what she was doing, but he wanted to know what she was feeling at the moment. He looked at her face. She didn't show many signs of affection.

She wasn't really blushing much. She had been blushing so much earlier, Neji had noticed even though Tenten thought he didn't. Neji liked it when he made Tenten blush. Partly because he loved her, but partly because it made him feel superior.

Neji was too prideful to show any signs of weakness. He always avoided that, and he avoided making himself feel inferior. He hated when someone seemed better than he was. Neji would probably rather die.

He had not been prepared to wake up finding that Tenten had taken off his robes. He never expected her to do this. He knew Tenten was pretty shy. She used to grin like mad when she even got near him, and now here she was touching his body and not even blushing.

Well, she thought he was unconcious, which made a huge difference. Tenten would never touch him if she knew he was awake. Partly because she was too shy and didn't want to make him feel awkward, and partly because she feared the consequences.

Neji had a flashback.

_Neji remembered when he was young and his dad was still alive. Neji wasn't a bitter and cold kid at the time. He was happy and talked a lot more. _

_Neji, in many ways, had a background very similar to Sasuke's. They both had one or both parents dead, and that caused them to become hard and bitter towards the world._

_Sasuke was worse because both his parents died. For Neji, it was bad, but not like Sasuke, only Neji's father had died, but him and his mom weren't that close anymore._

_Neji was an adorable 6-year-old Hyuuga. He had gotten home from school and he got a huge cut on his leg. Neji claimed that a rabbit did it. His parents gave him a funny look. Neji just smiled back at them innocently._

_Neji's mom told him she would have to heal it._

"_Ok," Neji said._

"_But I'll use some disinfectant," his mom warned._

_Neji had always seen the bottle, but he didn't know that it would cause stinging._

"_Ok," Neji repeated._

_Neji's mom put some disinfectant on her finger and traced Neji's cut. Neji winced. It burned, and he wasn't as tough when he was 6 as he is now. Neji decided from that day on that he would never let anyone treat his wounds like that again. He was pretty naïve back then. But then again…Hinata was even more naïve…_

His eyes still closed, Neji's heart was racing.

He could feel it beat fast at a steady rate. What was he supposed to do in a situation like this? He didn't have the answer. All he really knew was that he could've stayed in this situation for a while.

Tenten continued to work. She wondered what he would do to her if he woke up. _Why do I keep asking myself this? I know for a fact already that he would kill me. But if he spared me, he would never talk to me again._

Tenten giggled inside her mind. She could imagine Neji yelling at her. It wasn't exactly a funny situation, but Tenten found some humor in seeing Neji flip out because she had taken off his robes.

_Why am I laughing? I wouldn't be laughing if he really woke up. I'd be close to CRYING! _But still Tenten couldn't resist. She was too satisfied when she was with Neji, even if he was about to kill her.

Neji could see a smile form on Tenten's lips through his slightly opened eyes. Neji wondered, _could she find pleasure in working on my naked body?_ Neji thought Tenten was cute when she smiled.

_Why the hell am I acting like a lovelorn idiot?_

Neji often found himself in these situations when he was younger. When he always caught himself off guard, he realized he was staring at Tenten and thinking about how pretty Tenten was, or how slender she was, or how nice her figure was, you get the picture.

But there was no reason not to. Tenten was a fairly attractive female for a kunoichi. Now, Tenten was no Ino, but Tenten had nice features or traits that Ino lacked. For example, an obvious thing is that Tenten's not as slutty as Ino.

Not that Tenten had anything against Ino, Ino was her friend. But it was true that one of Ino's main focus was getting a good husband. Tenten remembered her mom telling her to be more like Ino to get a better husband.

Tenten snickered, _dream on Mom. _Changing into Ino for her mom was the last thing to do on her list. She'd rather eat 5 servings of escargot. And she hated snails, they were so slimy and disgusting.

Neji kept watching her. For some reason she was smiling. _What's so funny? _Neji didn't understand what was going on in her mind. Little did he know, Tenten was imagining what would happen if Neji tried to kill her.

Then he felt Tenten get even closer, her arms around his waist. Of course, she was wrapping bandages around his stomach... but her arms were a centimeter away from his bare skin. Her soft arms occasionally grazed his skin, sending chills up his spine. He felt so... exposed... and he liked it.

He had never even dreamed that Tenten would put her arms around his waist. He never even imagined doing that to _her_! He wondered how great it would be if they were going out like Sakura and Sasuke.

He always imagined that happening, but he never expressed interest in her openly. _Remember Neji, love is a sign of weakness. In fact, any emotion is a sign of weakness, and Hyuugas aren't weak._

That was his excuse for not fessing up to ask Tenten out. He kept himself close minded and anti social. Even Sasuke didn't know that Neji had feelings for Tenten. That's how closed up he was.

He was like a turtle that never came out of his shell…an extremely skilled turtle.

_I don't like Tenten._

No way would he _ever_ confess his love to anyone. His pride would just curl up and die.

Tenten sat back down just as Neji was awakening. Tenten's mind was racing.

_What am I supposed to say? 'Yeah I opened your robes to put bandages on... you have nice abs'? Good gods..._

Neji sat up, "You... put bandages on me?"

"Well... Neji-kun..." Tenten started. "With that big scar it could attract bacteria and then..."

Neji grabbed her wrist. Tenten gasped. She stared into his grayish-white eyes.

"Don't. Help. Me." He said in a low voice.

Tenten struggled out of his grasp, "Who do you think I am? Of course I have to help you. I guess you're still a cold bastard."

Tenten stood up, picked up her pack, and jumped into the trees. She knew Neji saw the hurt in her face, the pain in her eyes.

_He's so cruel._

Tenten threw her pack on the floor and fled up the stairs. She looked at the clock.

_Just enough time to get ready..._

She saw that it was already decorated downstairs. She walked into her closet, pulling out the red kimono. She stepped into the showers, letting the water drown away her emotions.

_I'll... be happy without him... I've survived this long._

She walked downstairs in her red kimono just as the bell rang.

The party soon got started, mostly with people just talking. Tenten was talking with Gai (who got her the feminine green Spandex outfit... again) and Lee(who got her book titled, 'Youthful Springtime'), when she spotted Neji walk in, a present in his hands.

_This... is not good._

"Gai-sensei! Lee! Look there's a youthful squirrel by the window!" Tenten said as Lee and Gai ran to the window, sticking their faces against the glass.

"Where?" Lee said.

"Keep looking!"

"I will keep looking, and if I do not find it, I will eat seven bowls of ramen!" Lee and Gai yelled together.

"Ramen gone," Naruto said belching and walking in. Tenten was looking for somewhere to hide.

_Behind Akamaru!_

Tenten dashed over to Akamaru and bent down petting him.

_Damn... forgot he has Byakugan... can't hide... so I might as well avoid!_

Tenten was skilled in the art of avoiding; she perfected it every week when Lee and Gai-sensei wanted to talk about youth and springtime to her. Tenten felt Neji find her with his Byakugan, and then she headed to the kitchen, picked up a teapot and walked back out. Quickly she poured tea in different people's cups, feeling Neji follow her. She did this many times, then Neji stopped following her. Unfortunately Tenten's teapot was empty. She dashed to the kitchen.

As she suspected, Neji was standing there. Alone.

"Neji-kun," Tenten said automatically.

"Happy birthday," Neji pushed a wrapped gift over.

"Arigatou, Neji-kun."

There was an awkward silence.

"I should be heading back out..." Tenten said quickly turning, so he couldn't see her red face.

_Why am I acting so weird? He hurt me before... just forget it happened... yes that works._

Tenten turned around and beamed, "Arigatou for coming!"

Then she dashed out. She sighed when she was out and walked back to Lee and Gai who were still stuck to the window.

"Oops... my eyesight might have failed right there."

"Try my new recipe!" Gai beamed, his teeth glistening. He pulled out a huge dish of dango (A/N: hmmm from where I wonder?) and brought it closer to Tenten.

"Er... no thanks," Tenten smiled nervously. She had tried Gai's concoctions before; she faintly remembered the taste before she choked and fainted. "Did you know Neji-kun's back?"

"Neji-kun!" Gai said. "Yes... he's been back for a while."

"Oh really?" Tenten said, her eye twitching slightly.

Lee nodded, "Neji-san's been back for a month I think..."

_That liar... he lied through his teeth._

"What about me?" a voice said behind them. Tenten jumped.

"Neji-san! You've decided to show up!" Lee jumped to hug him. Neji put a hand out to Lee's forehead and easily stopped him. Tenten smiled.

"The old team is back..." Gai's eyes got watery.

"Tenten-san, may I talk to you alone?" Neji said calmly.

Gai stopped skipping down memory lane to listen to Neji. Tenten slowly nodded.

_Dammit._

Tenten stood awkwardly in the kitchen. Neji was leaning against the wall.

"Um... Neji-kun, why did you want to talk..."

"Neji-kun? You've never called me that..." Neji looked amused. Tenten shrugged, "We are mature adults now."

Tenten glanced at him. He was at a loss of words. That's a first for the Hyuuga, brave, calm, and better than the rest.

"Gomen..." Neji blurted out. Tenten stared at him shocked, and then her lips split into a grin. This was a huge blow to this Hyuuga's pride.

"What?"

Neji's eye twitched. Tenten couldn't help but smile. She bit her bottom lip. "Gomen, I didn't hear you."

"I said..." Neji started then he turned around to the door. "Go away Lee! Gai!"

There were scampering of feet. Neji turned around and said smoothly, "Gomen."

Tenten smiled, "That's what I thought."

This was yet again another huge blow to Neji's pride. Tenten decided to torment Neji a little longer, "Why are you sorry Neji-kun?" she said innocently.

It was like a remake of Neji's pride being beaten again and again by the loudmouth slacker Naruto.

"For... earlier... in the forest..."

"What about the forest?" Tenten bit her lower lip so she wouldn't break out into giggles.

_Here it comes... who knew Neji had it in him to say he was sorry?_

Only... it wasn't what Tenten expected.

"I love you."

Tenten stared shocked. Neji looked away, a hint of red on his usually pale face.

"What?"

"I'm not repeating it!" Neji growled, wiping his hands on his robes.

Hyuuga Neji was not being calm. Tenten resisted the urge to yell, "What have you done to Neji?" but the words sunk in. Neji loved her. He didn't hate her, he loved her. It didn't make sense, but Tenten felt she was going to implode. Her dream since she was 13 had finally come true. Neji had returned to Konoha... for her.

She turned a deep shade of red. She shyly stepped closer to Neji.

"Neji-kun... arigatou."

Neji glanced at her and looked away. Tenten smiled softly, "I've always wanted this to happen..."

She stood on her tiptoes and lightly kissed him on the lips. His lips were cold, but they instantly warmed and Neji wrapped his arms around her. He deepened the kiss, and then stopped. He reached over and slammed the door, as it was creaking open. They heard the shrill squeak of Lee when he saw a faint glance of Tenten kissing Neji. Tenten laid her head on Neji's chest.

"I love you too."

**A/N: Please comment/review, thanks!**


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